Shades of Grey
by Mayumi89
Summary: Here's my own little twist of an idea for how things continue after the anime ends. Poor Yuki has been bombarded once again, and is close to the breaking point when Haru comes to his rescue. He has a brilliant plan, but will it be too much for poor Yuki?
1. A growing pain

"Finally! It's about time we were done with those d&^ tests."

Kyo's voice rang out down the hall to where Yuki was standing in front of his locker. He couldn't agree more with his bright-haired cousin, but for entirely different reasons than he imagined spurred the comment. Yuki needed some time away from the press of people. A short break for the weekend was going to do him a lot of good. Some finely cooked meals hot from the kitchen definitely served to calm nearly everyone down.

"Yes, quite. Miss Honda, are you ready to go?" Yuki asked quietly, waiting with bag in hand.

"Oh, right! See you later Hanna, Uo!" Tohru said, turning to leave.

As the three of them walked towards home, they chatted about the different happenings at the school, mostly just classes and trying to devise ways to avoid the ever-persistent girls that had seen fit to plague Yuki's life from the moment he stepped foot there. It's not that he had a problem with talking to girls, or even the idea of going out with one; no, it was these girls with their ever-present cameras and giggles for no apparent reason. Everywhere he turned, there was another one, just waiting, begging for another little piece of him.

"What do you think Yuki?" came Tohru's question snapping him out of his stupor of thought.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I got rather lost in thought. I'm afraid I didn't hear you; would you mind repeating yourself?"

"What the hell? She's trying to help you and you can't even-" Kyo's criticism was cut short by the sudden placement of a gloved hand firmly over his mouth.

"Can't even what? He was clearly thinking about something important; something you couldn't do if your life depended on it. Now back off before your stupidity spreads!"

Yuki watched with mixed amusement and exasperation as the fight quickly ensued. Hatsaharu was always standing up for him. It was kind of nice really, knowing that someone out there could and would fight for him, even if he didn't really need it. Sure it could get a little frustrating at times, but it was better than having to stand against the world completely alone. Having such a good friend meant worlds to Yuki. All too soon, it was over; Haru was rubbing his head and side, and Kyo was storming up to the roof of the house with Tohru chasing behind to start on dinner and make sure Kyo didn't break anything.

"Thank you Haru, but that really wasn't necessary." The words were belied by Yuki's grateful tone. He really was getting sick of constantly fighting with that stupid cat.

"What, and let him trash talk you? You know I can't do that." And it was true. Haru never could just let something like that go. Protecting Yuki seemed to be his self-appointed task, and he took to it with a zeal that was hard to find in almost anyone. And what a blessing it was. Yuki could hardly find a moment's peace anywhere, and having someone there to look out for him made a huge difference. He'd actually lost count of the times Haru had managed to get him out of a tight spot, whether with Kyo, his fan club, or even just the other guys at school.

"Hey Haru, you think Shigure will mind if we stay here for dinner?" Momiji's innocent voice broke through Yuki's thoughts, which seemed to be rather in control of his life lately.

"I don't see why not, as long as we call Hatori." Haru's voice of reason assuring them both that he had gone back to his usual, calm self.

The three of them walked calmly down the rest of the path, and eventually through the front door of Shigure's house. All that could be heard was the quiet clinking of dishes from the kitchen, meaning that Tohru was cleaning up before she started cooking. Haru went down the hall to talk to Shigure, while Momiji left to go find the phone. Left alone to his thoughts once again, Yuki wandered up stairs to his room. Fully intent on getting some studying in on his own before dinner, he pulled out his books and began rifling through them, looking for today's notes. As he flips through the pages, something falls to the floor at his feet. It seemed another one of those notes had found its way into his locker when he wasn't looking. He didn't even bother to read it this time. Seeing that it wasn't school-related, it went straight into the trash bin. He nearly tossed it out the window for the heavy scent of perfume on it; but it cleared away some of the stale scent the room had gotten the last couple of days of being closed off from the rain.

Having lost all ambition to study, Yuki found himself going back down stairs and following his nose to the delightful smell of steamed leeks. This could do nothing but infuriate the stupid cat, but he didn't really care. Besides, it seemed she had also fixed some fresh salmon, so the idiot didn't have to eat them if he didn't want to.

"Oh, Yuki! You're just in time, dinner's just about done." Tohru's gentle smile seemed designed to make everyone else in the room smile with her.

"Here Miss Honda, let me carry some of that out for you"

As dinner went, it was pretty usual. Kyo complained about the leeks; Yuki shut him up with a mouthful of them. Momiji talked non-stop; everyone but Tohru and Kyo pretty much ignored him. Shigure made some of his infamous comments; both Yuki and Kyo would hit the dog. By the end of the meal, there were a couple bruised heads and a lot of full and contented bellies. Life was never boring around here, that much was certain.

"Yuki, I hear there's been a little trouble at school. Anything you want to talk about?" Shigure was in one of his more caring moods it seemed. Well Yuki was not at all interested in confessing his problems to his brother's best friend.

"Just the same as always." Yuki hoped the non-committal answer would assuage the meddling mutt.

"All right then. Just know I'll be here if you need me."

Shigure's sigh said that he had actually been genuine in his offer. But what was there to say? 'I've got too many girls fawning over me?' 'I'm too popular?' 'I hate being pretty?' Just how stupid did he want to sound? No, it was better to just deal with it like he had since starting at the school. Smile and wave, and let the world go on without you.

As soon as he could, Yuki excused himself to go up to his room; finally doing the homework he had been attempting to do earlier. Hatsaharu and Momiji had left for the main house, quieting things down quite a bit. When it was clear that everyone else had gone to bed, Yuki pulled out his journal, venting out all the anger and frustration that had been plaguing him that day. There wasn't much that could really bother him, but his little fan club seemed to like to push every single one of those buttons. He could hardly explain to them why he was so aloof. Even if he did, they would just assume he was joking, or that all the stress of being Student Council President had finally driven him crazy. All he really wanted was to be normal; to go on a date; to be able to show affection for someone without worrying; to smile and laugh with everyone else. Was that really too much to ask?

Eventually, when he had emptied all the many emotions that bothered him onto the receptive pages, Yuki closed the journal and turned away from the desk. Letting himself rant to someone, even if it was only the unsuspecting and unspeaking pages of a journal, let him relax. There was no one he could really turn to with all this, but so far he had managed with the help of his journals. So far he had managed to stuff half of a dresser drawer with all the journals he'd filled over the years. He opened that drawer, placing his latest one to its hiding place. Only then would he let himself dress and fall into bed, allowing the sweet oblivion to take him from his hectic life for a few hours.


	2. A brilliant plan

Morning came to see Tohru making breakfast for the odd group residing in the house of a certain novelist. As everyone ate and then got ready for the day, Yuki was in a rather better mood than he had been the day before. He wrote every night, but he didn't rant like that often. He really should, it always makes things seem a lot simpler putting his thoughts down on paper. Even the walk to school was going well. Hopefully this was a sign that things were going to be getting better.

Hatsaharu and Momiji joined them, and shortly they were walking up the front steps of the school. History was moving on to a new unit, and there was a pop quiz in math. Well, it could be a lot worse, and the fan club even seemed to be backing off for today. Walking to lunch was un-eventful and calm, and he managed to get a couple things from the library. He should have known it wouldn't last.

"Yuki! Oh, Yuki! Can I talk to you please?" The girls soft voice hit him like a ton of bricks from just down the otherwise empty hall. He knew that tone, he'd heard it all too often.

"Is there something I can help you with Miss Korinowa?" He tried to sound tired and formal, hopefully giving her the clue to leave him alone. No such luck.

"Yuki, I- I wanted to ask you… Well, see, I was hoping you would want to—"

"I'm sorry Miss Korinowa, I understand what you are asking, but I'm afraid I can't do that right now. I am so bus—"

"Again with the excuses!" Her eyes and turned to pain and accusation "Every time someone tries to get close to you, you make some excuse. You never seem to want to even talk to anyone but that stupid Honda girl, and everyone knows she's like a sister to you. So what is it? Are you just too pretty for the likes of us? Or do you just like stringing every girl on, just to see how many you can get to follow yo—"

The stream of words was abruptly cut off by a hand being placed firmly over her mouth. Haru to the rescue again; and Yuki couldn't be more grateful. Every word she had spoken hit him a little harder, until he was sure he was going to break down.

"Hey, I don't know what's going on, all I know is that Yuki was being yelled at, and I want to know why." Good, it was still White Haru. He might have been grateful for the interruption, but he wasn't sure if it would have been that much better if Black Haru had been there. He let her go slowly so she could explain herself to him.

"He keeps making excuses. It's like he doesn't want to get close to anyone. He's always so polite, but any time anyone tries to really get to know him, he pushes us away like we're no more important than the lunch he just ate!"

"First off, did it ever occur to you that there was more to his life than you girls? Did you ever think that maybe he's just honestly not interested in that kind of relationship with you?"

"N-no. I guess n-not." She was understandably nervous.

Haru's expression belied that he was getting irritated, and on the way towards going black. He was glaring at her furiously, until a light came to his eye. He had an idea. It didn't happen too often, but when Haru got a spur-of-the-moment idea like this, it usually turned out pretty good. "Yuki, why don't you just tell them already?"

Yuki felt like he had just been slapped with a fish. He couldn't be serious. "Are you kidding? Do you have any idea what that would do?" What was he getting at?

"Come on, if this is the kind of lip you're getting because of it, they need to know. They need to know they can't have you to themselves." Haru was trying to say something with his eyes, but Yuki was just not getting it. All he could say was that he didn't seem to be talking about the curse…

"What are you guys going on about?" miss Korinowa's question echoing Yuki's own confused thoughts.

"You know, just saying that there might be a reason he's not interested in a relationship with any of you _girls_." Haru sent him a wink, leaving Yuki somewhat panicked. He couldn't mean what he was implying. But it made so much sense, it was the perfect way to get them all to back off, and no one else could pull it off. But could he go through with it? There was only one way to know, and that was to try.

"You're right Haru, I- I just can't… I mean how does one… I- I…" Yuki was genuinely flustered, and completely out of his depth, hoping Haru would get the clue to tell the girl himself.

"Oh Yuki. You know, if you can't say it, actions do speak louder than words" That wink was bordering on what he saw when Black Haru started flirting. And what was he talking about? What did he want Yuki to do? What was the crazy cow getting at this time? Did he think that the girls would le—

His train of thought was abruptly cut off by the sudden sensation of gentle lips pressing insistently against his own. The contact was enough to make him gasp, giving Haru a wide open invitation to invade his mouth. It was sudden, it was fast, and it was intoxicating. Yuki found himself lost in a sea of bliss, scent of warm musk in his nose, and the fresh taste of greens left from Haru's lunch lingering on their tongues.

When they finally pulled apart for lack of air, Yuki found his arms wrapped around Haru's neck, and the young ox's hand perilously close to his rear. Yuki quickly pulled back, wondering just what had happened.

"Is that even… LEGAL?"

The fan-girl's face was one of utter disbelief, while Haru's was a mask of pure mischievous accomplishment. Well, Yuki could certainly understand both, it wasn't like this was an every-day occurrence.

"Oh, don't worry. The Sohma family is positively huge. I'm pretty sure that the closest relation I have to Yuki here is our great-grandfathers were second cousins. There are a lot more Sohma's than most people realize. This one just cau—"

Ok, Haru was dealing with her, and calming her down. He could handle everything right now for all Yuki cared. There was a lot more pressing issues on Yuki's mind at the moment like why he had responded to that kiss the way he had. Had he actually enjoyed it? Well, the tingle he felt in his nether-regions certainly seemed to let him know what his body felt. He didn't have a visible problem- yet. If they had kept going on much longer, it would have been very difficult to hide where his mind had clearly gone.

_Riiiiiing._

"Looks like we're going to have to find our way to class, miss. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding earlier, but I hope we've cleared everything up." Haru's calm voice helped Yuki to gather himself after being startled out of his thoughts by the bell tolling class time to begin.

It was a good thing he didn't have anything that required a lot of thought that afternoon. Today was a class run day, so he was able to use that to clear his mind and concentrate on school, at least until the end of the day. It seemed word hadn't got out yet of his and Haru's little 'display,' though he could guarantee it would be all over the school by tomorrow. That was one of the reasons he didn't talk to the Korinowa girl much; she was one of the biggest gossips in the school. Well, at least this would likely get the girls to leave him alone for a few days while they digested this information.

Okay, so here we have Ch. 2! Haru's come up with a brilliant plan, but is it too much for poor Yuki? Heaven knows this is going to cause some major reactions in the fan-club!


	3. A loss for words

By the time school let out, Yuki was exhausted. He couldn't seem to focus on much of anything, and he was ready to go to bed, and not wake up for the next week. Unfortunately there was no rest for the weary. He stayed quiet through the whole walk home, and surprisingly so did Kyo. It was all for the best anyway. Yuki likely would have laid the cat flat on his tail if he tried to start anything. For that matter, Kyo probably knew that, and that was exactly why he wasn't trying to fight him.

"Oh, guys, I thought you should know. I'm pretty sure Yuki and I have solved his girl-problem." Haru's voice called Yuki out of his reverie to see just what the others would have to say to this little revelation.

"Oh? Really? How did you manage that? You didn't hurt anyone did you?" Tohru's voice of innocence a refreshing change from the turmoil rolling around in the rat's mind.

"Well, I heard one of those fan-girls trying to ask him out again today, and I realized that they wouldn't stop until he was taken. But he couldn't have a girlfriend, cuz the only ones he can hug are either guys or in the zodiac. Since there aren't any zodiac girls in the school, that left it to one of us. Kyo over there is clearly out of the question, and Momiji, I'm sorry, no one would believe it of you, you seem far too innocent. So, we made the girl that was trying to ask him out believe that we were already a firm couple." Put that way, the cow had an excellent point. Yuki hardly believed it was as well thought out as that at the time, but he wasn't about to say anything. Much better that everyone believed it was just a ploy. They all knew Haru liked him, and that was as far as he wanted them to think it went. He didn't even know if there was anything beyond that.

When they got back to the house, Haru pulled Yuki aside for a minute while everyone else when in. His face showed concern and outright worry for the rat standing so awkwardly before him.

"Yuki, I- I hope I didn't go too far today. I'm sorry, I guess it was kinda selfish, but it sent the message out clearer than anything anyone could have said." The look of contrite apology on his face was enough for Yuki to forgive him immediately. In fact, he hadn't even been mad in the first place.

"I-it's fine Haru. Just a little warning next time, okay?" Yuki's tone was light but clearly nervous.

"Tell you what, from now on, _if_ it happens again, it won't be me that starts it at all. I promise, I won't push you like that again." The simple tone of honesty and mild regret pierced Yuki's heart.

"Haru, it really is fine, it just- it has given me something to think about, that's all. It really is a brilliant plan, and I should be grateful that you showed up when you did. Much more of that girl yelling at me and I might well have transformed, and we both know how bad that would be." Yuki didn't want Haru to feel guilty about it, he just didn't know what to make of his own reaction.

There was an awkward silence for a moment where Yuki pondered the way that his life had turned upside down in the space of a few minutes. Haru was slowly rubbing the back of his neck, obviously thinking of something, before finally deciding to speak.

"Well, did you at least enjoy it?"

The quiet question hung between them. Yuki's whole face turned about as red as a fresh strawberry before he meekly nodded. That silent confirmation was all that Haru needed, and he smiled, quickly hugging the embarrassed young man before backing off and giving him space to think.

"Do you want me to go in the house now, or should I wait for you?" Haru asked

"G-go on. I'll be in a little later. If anyone asks, I'm going to go out for a walk. Don't worry, I'll be fine." A little trip out to the base was probably the best thing he could do right now. Gardening always helped him to relax and work out his tension.

Wandering down the path to his little garden patch, he focused on what he needed to do there. The broccoli likely wouldn't be ready yet, but it should be checked. It was about time to plant the cabbage, and the Snow peas should be ready to harvest. Yet somehow his mind couldn't stay focused on the soil as it usually did. As the soft dirt played through his hands, his mind went back to that insane moment in the school hallway. How had his arms even gotten there? He didn't remember putting them there. And just when had Haru put that arm around his waist? Yuki had lost all track of time and space. How could he have let that happen? He was always in control of every situation, but this had made him lose that. What did this mean?

Before he knew it, Yuki had a basket full of snow peas, some new weeds to add to the compost pile, but not a lot of answers. For once, his time in the garden had only left him with more questions. Well, at least there would be some fresh greens to go with dinner tonight.

"Oh, Yuki! There you are. Oh! Are these to go with dinner? Thank you, I'll put them on right away. Everything should be done pretty soon. Why don't you go wash up, okay?" Tohru could always put everything into such simple terms, it was rather sweet.

Yuki had to admit that the fan girl had been right about one thing; Tohru was just like a sister to him. For that matter, all the girls in his life seemed to fall into one of two categories; annoying and obnoxious, or sisterly. But he had had a crush on Tohru at first… hadn't he? It had meant so much to him when she asked him to still be her friend. But that's just it, he had wanted that friendship. Had he not wanted any more than that? Maybe there was a pa-

"You just gonna stand there all day, ya d*& rat?" Kyo's harsh words snapped him out of his reverie, and back to the present.

Without another word, Yuki sat down at the table and began to serve himself. Normally that comment would have called for at least an apology, but he just couldn't muster up the energy to talk to them. Definitely not talking with that cat around; he'd never hear the end of it.

"So, Yuki, I hear you had quite the interesting day at school. So, care to tell me what sort of mischief you've been getting into? Or should I leave that to your new boyfriend, hmm?" Shigure still lacked any resemblance of tact, which only served to anger the tormented rat.

"And just why should I tell you anything?" With that simple, eerily calm answer, Yuki stood up, leaving his dinner with only a few bites eaten. He couldn't have finished it anyway; not with all the questions rolling around in his mind. Running in circles, they were always the same questions, but never a clear answer. Why did he return the kiss? Why did he lose control? Is this going to make people hate him? Was this just one more way he was strange and different? Tonight's journal entry was going to be long.

Poor Yuki! looks like everything is really taking a toll on him. Think he can pull through in one piece?

Don't forget to review! Please! Reviews are like air, I can't live without them!


	4. A sweet sorrow

While Yuki was in his room, pondering the repercussions of Haru's actions, a debate of a different sort was going on down stairs.

"Well, I certainly seem to have struck a nerve there. I think it might be best to leave him be for a while. You know how Yuki is; if he's got something on his mind, he can be just as violent as Kyo if interrupted." Everyone seemed to agree with Shigure's assessment of the situation, but that didn't stop several worried glances from being sent upstairs.

"Is he going to be okay? I know the fangirls really bother him, but you'd think this idea would help things, right?" Tohru's honest innocence to the situation was rather endearing to Haru, who was sitting across from her at the little table. He offered a small smile at her concern, but didn't say anything. He knew Yuki wouldn't want it going around about the kiss until it was absolutely necessary.

"Nah, he'll be fine. D&% rat's probably just having a bad day. If you guys had to come up with some crazy idea like that, then those dumb girls musta really been getting to him. He'll be fine in the morning." Kyo's surprising insight seemed to have calmed Tohru of her fears, but only left Haru wondering about Yuki himself. Perhaps he should check on him… but no, Shigure was right, whatever he was doing, interrupting him would be a bad idea. Better to at least finish dinner first.

Things were relatively quiet over dinner. The resident novelist didn't even make any of his usual comments, leaving everyone in a sort of odd silence. An excellent dinner went a long way towards the lack of volume but, for Haru at least, there was a distinct flavor of worry to it. As soon as he had cleaned his plate and taken it to the kitchen, he let his feet wander up the steps towards Yuki's room.

Sliding the thin partition aside only a little, he peered into the young rat's room. What he saw there was enough to break his heart. Yuki had fallen asleep over his journal; a couple of tear stains on the page showing just how much this whole situation was affecting him. Haru took pity on the poor guy's back, and lifted him out of the chair and set him gently onto the soft mattress.

The young man's face with the violet eyes, now closed in sleep, was so peaceful like this that Haru could hardly look away. He'd known he loved Yuki for a long time now. The romantic side of things had been pushed to the wayside, because he always knew that he didn't stand a chance. But today in the hall, it had re-kindled his hopes. Yuki had felt so right in his arms; the flush of his face bringing heat to it that he hadn't expected from the smaller man. Brushing the fringe from Yuki's eyes, Haru is reminded of the haze of passion that had been in those eyes before falling behind the mask he always wore, especially at school. Just for that moment, he had reached to the real Yuki, the one that very few people got to see. Haru knew that whatever else happened, he would cherish that glimpse of Yuki; the real Yuki.

Now he was just getting sentimental. Momiji had called Hatori, and it had been cleared for them to stay tonight, but he wasn't going to impose on Yuki. No, he'd stay with Kyo tonight. Yuki needed his sleep, and he wasn't about to submit Momiji and Kyo to each other over-night.

Haru picked up the young man that had made him so muddled, and laid him down on the soft mattress. After taking the young rat's shoes off, Haru pulled the blanket up over the prone frame there and turned to walk away. He closed the door with a sigh, giving himself one brief moment of contented peace before walking into the chaos that he knew the place would be in upon deciding who would sleep where.

"Waaaaaaaaaah, Kyo's hitting me!" Momiji's powerful cries broke through the quiet of the upstairs, and Haru knew he was needed.

When he finally reached the bottom of the stairs, Kyo was still sitting on Momiji, while Tohru was trying to convince them to stop fighting. Not that that does any good with Kyo, but she seemed to have better luck than most. Time to intervene though, otherwise this could go on all night. Haru steeled himself before making his presence known.

"Momiji, why don't you go up to Shigure's room for the night? Better there than hearing you two fight all night."

"Haru! I didn't see you there! I think that will be great. I mean Yuki needs his sleep, so it only makes sense. You don't mind do you Shigure?" Tohru's honest reply was probably the best thing that could have happened right then

"No, of course not. In fact, I think it's about time we all went to bed. You kids do have school in the morning."

Not much could be said to that, so that's exactly what happened. Kyo got up and stormed up to his room, while everyone else filed on up. Haru lingered in the back, a mild headache growing between his eyes. After a glass of water and some Tylenol, he too drifted up the stairs, stopping briefly at Yuki's door. Cracking the door open, he peered in, not sure what he was looking for, just knowing he wanted to see Yuki again before going to sleep.

All was well, so Haru was able to slip into Kyo's room and onto the mat laid out for him. Lying there, waiting for the medicine to kick in and allow him to sleep, his mind drifted back to that kiss. Yuki had seemed to genuinely enjoy it, which he hadn't really expected. Hoped for, definitely, but Yuki hadn't shown any signs that he was even interested in men at all, much less him. The plan had been rather spur of the moment, but it looked like things were really turning his way. That thought was enough to bring a smile to the ox's face and bring him down into sleep.

Okay, a little of Haru's POV, cuz you know we want to find out what's happening on the other side of this little adventure. Poor Yuki's so worn out, he doesn't even know what to think anymore.

Please Review! I need them like a man needs water in the desert.


	5. A new development

The warm smell of omelets drifted through the little house, rousing the rest of the occupants from their dreams. Slowly, everyone drifted down, and a sleepy silence remained over all of them as each one ate and brought their dishes back into the kitchen. It wasn't until all the younger set in the house had gotten ready and headed out the door that anyone bothered to say much of anything. As everyone starts walking toward the school, Haru holds Yuki back just out of ear-shot of the rest of them.

"I'm sorry if I made problems for you yesterday. You can tell them what really happened if you want." Haru's words were countered by the nearly pitiful look in his eyes. He didn't want Yuki to change things. He wanted the charade to be true, but he couldn't ask Yuki to live more of a lie than he already was.

"We never actually lied to them Haru, just made some very strong implications." Yuki's weak smile said all that was needed. They would keep it up. Better that than to have those girls constantly going on about something they could never understand. "Just… let me start it next time, okay?"

That statement hit Haru like a ton of yen. He was stunned beyond belief, and twice as excited. He hadn't thought that there would be anything resembling a repeat performance, but to have Yuki suggest that he would kiss first? This was more than he had dreamed could actually be.

"Come on, don't look as surprised as all that. I er, it's not like I didn't – um- well it just makes sense to keep on as we were, right?" Yuki looked so pathetic that Haru just wanted to pull him into a tight bear hug and never let him go. But the look on the poor rat's face said more than any words could have. The whole thing had shaken him to his core. Yuki needed to not be rushed, so the least Haru could do was to grant him that much.

"All right then, what do you want me to do? Your wish is my command." Perhaps a little mellow-dramatic, but the comment brought a true smile to Yuki's face, so it had done its job.

"Come on, let's catch up to the rest, before we're late."

As the they all approached the school, there was something distinctly odd. None of them could quite put their finger on it, but something was defiantly out of place. It was… quiet. That was it, it was eerily quiet. The girls weren't gathering in their little circles to giggle and chatter. No, instead today they were talking in whispers. Most of them seemed close to tears, and it seemed that each of them was sporting some form of black. A ribbon here, a veil there, still technically within the dress-code, but starting to get a little creepy.

It was with that pleasant picture on their minds that the group gladly greeted Uo and Hana, who was, for once, NOT wearing her usual black hair ties. It was certainly a relief to Yuki who was starting to again feel the pressure of all the covert glances and outright stares he was getting.

"Hey guys. About time you got here. I swear those fan club girls have lost it. I don't know what's gotten into them, but it's kinda creeping me out." Uo always had a way with the blunt and obvious, and today was no exception.

"Yes. They all seem to be in mourning of something. Perhaps something to do with one they all hold dear. You wouldn't happen to know anything, would you?" Hana's piercing gaze made Yuki second-guess coming to school, but at least he knew that these people here would not judge. In fact, he could probably tell them most of the truth. He wanted the fan-girls off his back, and this was the perfect way to do it.

"Well miss Hanajima, I think you may have guessed it has something to do with me. I'm fairly certain I know what is going on, though I hadn't thought the response would be this intense so soon. I suppose now is the best time to explain, so here's what happened. Yesterday, you remember how I was a bit out of sorts after lunch?" The two girls in front of him nodded, so he continued with his tale. "Well, that was because another one of the girls had attempted to ask me on a date. I am not interested in any of them, as you well know, but when I tried to let her down, she pushed back, pressing on some… sensitive subjects for me. That was when Haru happened by, and came up with what I think was actually a rather brilliant plan. We would act as a couple so that the girls would leave me alone, and I can actually do my work. My hope is that this will pacify them, giving them a reason they can accept as to why I did not want to date them. That was why Haru… well…" Yuki blushed slightly, trying to keep his composure "he decided to… prove it to the girl. And now it appears that word has spread already of my… attachment, and so they are mourning their perceived loss."

The two girls looked at him in stunned silence for a moment, while the rest seemed to have turned away so they could act as body-guards for this little conversation. He was grateful for all of them, and even more so that Haru was still standing beside and slightly behind him, as if to say that he was there to support him.

"All right! Way to go Haru!" Uo's sudden outburst caught most of them by surprise, as did her quick movement to slap the stunned ox on the back. But it was that split-second acceptance that gave Yuki a rush of relief. His friends accepted this. He might not have known these two for all that long, but they had become nearly as dear to him as Tohru, and to know that he had their support made a huge difference for the young rat. Perhaps he could actually do this.

With that thought holding him, he walked right up the front steps of the school, and took Haru's hand. It was actually kind of nice; Haru's hands were strong and warm, and made him feel like he didn't have to be quite so strong. If this kept up, things would turn out the way he had hoped in the fleeting moment before his world turned upside-down. Haru was there for him, no matter what. Yuki knew this was going to put a lot of pressure on the young ox, but he was facing it head-on, just like a charging bull. It was that comforting image that carried Yuki through the whispers and tears of those around him. He'd meet up with everyone again at lunch, and Hanah would scare off any potential trouble. He would be around people that genuinely cared about him. That was what amazed him most about all this. Even after all these years, Haru still loved Yuki enough to subject himself to the student population for further trouble and ridicule. Haru had already proven that he wasn't going to let go of Yuki, and maybe Yuki could lean on that strength; even if only for a little while.

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So, they've decided to keep things up. Will Yuki be able to handle the new kind of attention? Will Haru be able to keep his hands to himself? Keep reading to find out!

PLEASE review! I need them sosososo much. I gives you hugs! (^.^)


	6. A perfect moment

The school was usually a bustling hub of chatter and sound. Everywhere you went, you could usually find someone talking about this or that; what the next class event was, who was dating whom, that sort of thing, with Yuki usually at the heart of the conversation somehow. Not today. The awkward silence was everywhere. It seemed like the only thing that broke it was the teachers' lectures, and the quiet sound of sniffles or distant whispers. The silence rang in Yuki's ears, alerting him to the fact that he was even more the center of attention than usual, and that was saying something indeed. Whispered conversations would stop as soon as he entered the room, and every eye watched him, while never meeting with his. Usually Yuki was happy to have a few minutes of peace, without a lot of noise… but this just wasn't natural. Even Tohru seemed oddly quiet, engrossed in trying to make up some studies she hadn't understood before. By the time lunch rolled around, the young rat was desperate to hear a voice that was not a teacher or Kyo complaining about something.

As he approached his group of friends, he could hear the chatter close by stop, but the over-all buzz of whispers rose to a new high. Everyone was staring at him, waiting for something, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what. He sat down in the open seat between Haru and Tohru, pulling out his lunch and looking very confused. That is until the young ox leaned over, whispering in his ear.

"I think they're waiting to see how you act with me now that we're 'not hiding it.'" He gave a low chuckle before continuing. "I swear they're both dreading and secretly hoping I'll kiss you again."

Yuki just sat there blushing towards his lunch as Haru sat up with a wink. Little did anyone but the young rat know, but the same could have been said of him as well.

"Well, um… I think we ought to at least eat our lunches… I- ah- don't think I care for all these people at the moment. Do you suppose we could move somewhere a little less crowded?" Yuki managed to somehow keep his features pleasantly happy, but there was a lot of stress in his eyes and his carriage. Most wouldn't see it, but his friends had grown to know him better than anyone, and could see that he was on the verge of panic.

"Of course! Why didn't I think of that? I knew you'd be under a lot of pressure, what with all the girls and stuff. Oh, I guess I wasn't thinking. Here, why don't we go outside?" Tohru always managed to blame herself, but she also managed to fix it, so Yuki was grateful.

"Don't worry Miss Honda. It's not your fault, but I do think outside does seem appropriate." With that cleared up, the group of them left for the courtyard, Haru following close behind Yuki without being so close as to make the young rat uncomfortable.

Once they reached the little courtyard where they could eat in relative peace, they all sat in a bit of a lop-sided circle so as to be able to fend off any un-wanted attention. They each pulled out the lunch boxes that Tohru had kindly put together for them; Yuki smiling at the generous amounts of cheese added to his. He usually tried not to follow the stereotypes for the different Zodiac members, but he couldn't help but enjoy a good cheese now and then, and somehow Tohru knew he would need that today. Then again, after the events of yesterday, he shouldn't be surprised. Tohru had a knack for knowing when you needed something like that. For that matter, it seemed he wasn't the only one getting special treats today. Haru seemed to have quite a few of the dark leafy greens he favored, Kyo had a thermos full of some form of creamy soup from the look of it, and there seemed to be a fair number of carrots in Momiji's bento box.

"Trust you to think of everything Tohru." Haru said with a deep chuckle, clearly noticing the same thing that Yuki had. "I don't know where you got the spinach, but thank you."

"Oh, it was nothing, really!" came Tohru's typical response. "I just know how much you like the dark green vegetables, so when I saw it at the store, I had to pick it up!"

Yuki just smiled at that, knowing that she would never completely accept the praise she fully deserved. Perhaps one day, but not now for sure. Instead of pushing the subject, Haru just laughed, and Uo launched into another one of her amusing commentaries on happenings of the day. Yuki was just as content to sit there letting the conversation roll around him, only adding brief comments when specifically asked. It's not that he was ignoring them, more that he was enjoying being in a normal group of friends, eating lunch, laughing, and simply enjoying themselves. It was truly something he had longed for all his life, but never imagined that he could actually have.

"Oh! I just remembered, I was supposed to bring that library book back at lunch today! I'm sorry, I guess I wasn't thinking!" Tohru's tone of alarm broke the young rat out of his thoughts and back into the real world.

"Do not worry Miss Honda. If you need to go, then go. I will see you in class shortly." He offered the girl a smile as she thanked them and ran off; Hanna and Uo tailing her 'to make sure she didn't get into trouble.' Not that she would, but she did tend to get very distracted.

"Well, if she's going, I don't see any point in sticking around. I'll see you guys later." Kyo waved, and didn't even wait for a fare-well; but that was to be expected of him.

"Hey would you guys be all right if I went too? I forgot to give Tohru her bento box back, and it's really a nice one." Momiji's child-like voice held a note of honest worry, but also something else that Yuki couldn't quite place.

"Go on, we'll be fine. Just don't go running into any girls, okay?" Haru's strong voice answered, and Yuki couldn't explain why he suddenly had a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"It's like I said, I'm gonna play it Cool at school!" and with that exclamation, the young rabbit ran off, almost hopping away in his ever-present excitement.

"Well that was interesting. I wonder if they all did that on purpose." Haru's statement was what made Yuki realize that the two of them were now alone in their corner of the courtyard.

"Well… I- they all had their reasons." Yuki finished rather flatly, not knowing why the thought of the two of them being alone was making him blush.

"Look, Yuki, I meant what I said earlier. I don't want to upset you or hurt you. If this whole thing is bothering you, you can call it off at any time. You know that you'll always be my first love, and I hate seeing you hurt. That's why I did this in the first place." Haru's open concern and genuine care for him was almost enough to break hearts.

"No, I want this. As strange as it may be, it's also the first time since shortly after I came to this school that I have had any amount of privacy or peace. That, and the fact that I- I- it is very nice to know that you will be right there if I need you. I might even come to… enjoy the – ah – rest of it…" By this time Yuki's face was rivaling the hue of a ripe tomato, but he slowly and deliberately moved a little closer to Haru, taking the young ox's hand.

Haru's smile could have lit up the entire world with its intensity. In that moment, Yuki knew that Haru would never let him down, and that he could trust the young ox to be strong for him, no matter what. Haru had held strong, even in the face of losing something that Yuki knew the ox wanted very badly, and even then had not faltered. Yuki desperately wanted to lean on that strength, and was only now realizing that he could. Now the question was: what to do about it?

Yuki didn't give himself time to think about it anymore. His questions and doubts had been plaguing his mind all night and all day. He needed an answer now, and the only way he could figure out if those feelings before had been a fluke or something real was to do it again. Before either of them could really realize what was happening, Yuki had managed to work his way into Haru's arms, where he found the surprised lips of the young ox eager for another meeting.

They held that pose for a good couple of minutes, where the entire world seemed to hold its breath. In that eternal moment, all seemed right with the world, and it seemed like nothing could break the pure joy emanating from the young rat. Even when they broke apart, no one spoke, no one even breathed for fear of breaking the moment.

"Wow… That was… Hott!"

Those simple words seemed to send the entire world into a clash of sound, and for once, Yuki didn't know or even care who said them. For now, he was truly happy. He had found something that could make him feel safe, and something to make him smile, no matter what was going on around him. He he wasn't about to let that go.

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So... Yuki kissed a guy, and he liked it. ^_^ Now to see how he deals with it. :P


	7. a bit too relaxed

The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the world was over-all very peaceful. But that didn't stop one young mouse from brooding like a storm-cloud. It had been three days since Yuki had initiated that kiss, and ever since then he had been locked in a state of total confusion and near-depression. Haru didn't know what to do about it, and even if the whole relationship was a ruse, he still felt responsible for the poor guy. After all, a lot of what was bringing him down all started on that fateful day when Haru came up with this crazy plan. Sure, Yuki was still acting as a very good student council president, but outside of that and his classes, the handsome rat had taken to near silence at all times, always lost in thought. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea after all. Sure Yuki would hold his hand and sit up against him in public, but once school let out, the rat might as well have been a statue.

"Hey, is there anything you guys would like for dinner?" Tohru's question brought about a small collection of answers, and a debate rolling around the motley little group walking down the road. While Haru put his thoughts in, he couldn't help but notice the silence coming from Yuki's direction. When asked directly, Yuki gave a vague answer involving cheese.

The debate continued all the way to Shigure's house, where people split up and went their separate ways. Momiji and Tohru went outside to gather the laundry, and Kyo went upstairs, presumably to do his home-work. Haru sat down at the table, pulling his bag around so he could possibly get some of his own work done before dinner. Vaguely he caught sight of Yuki slipping into the kitchen, and Haru figured he'd just gone to get a small snack, or something to drink. This was only confirmed by the crisp sound of a can opening, and the faint creak of the refrigerator door. Sure enough a few moments later, Yuki walked back into the room having already finished his drink, and just sitting down with a small wedge of cheese, and pulling out his home-work.

The two sat together, working on their respective assignments. But Haru couldn't help but notice that Yuki seemed to be having a very difficult time focusing the more he worked. The ox considered offering help, but realized that he'd never be able to manage math problems a year ahead of his own studies.

"I think I'm about done with girls." The sudden statement had Haru's head snapping up, looking straight at Yuki, waiting for him to continue.

"I mean they never _shut up_. They constantly go on and on about things, and don't even bother to get all the information on it. Like me for example; they all call me a prince, but all they see is what's at school. They're _soooo_ happy to live in their little bubbles, that I could be screaming, and they'd just think I was trying to do something for them. The whole school is full of stupid, mindless drones, with only a few actually thinking for themselves. You agree with me, right?"

Haru could hardly do anything but just sit there and nod. Yuki was never this vocal, and certainly never this negative towards other people. What had gotten into him? Maybe the stress was finally getting to him, and he just needed some kind of vent for it all. Well, if that was the case, Haru was more than willing to lend an ear. So, with that in mind, the ox muttered a vague agreement, and waited to hear what else would come pouring out.

"I mean, even Tohru is like my sister. No, not even my sister, more like a mom; the kind, sweet mother in stories. But that's just it, they all either want something from me, or they just don't feel like a partner. I need strong arms to keep me steady. I mean, I'm the student council president, and I didn't even really want to do that. I'm doing it, because I know I can do a much better job than any of the other ones willing to run. They all just follow me everywhere. I think I even had a guy follow me to the bathroom. You, I don't mind; that guy I should have hit. But as always I stayed quiet and kept the peace. I didn't even tell him to back off. Do you think I should speak up more?"

Every time Yuki opened his mouth, something nagged at the back of Haru's mind. There was something distinctly odd about the handsome rat, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Well, I think it would probably do you some good. But I have a question, are you feeling okay? You're not usually this talkative." Haru hoped that it was just a simple matter of being tired or something, but his gut was telling him something else was going on.

"Oh I feel _fine_. Better than ever actually. I don't know why, but I'm just really relaxed right now. Maybe there was chamomile or something in that soda I found. All I know is that I feel like I could tell you anything. I like that." With that statement, Yuki moved a little closer to Haru, putting his head on the young ox's shoulder. That's when Haru recognized that smell.

"Are you DRUNK?" The question seemed preposterous, but here was Yuki; almost snuggling with his arm, and the distinct smell of alcohol on his breath. He never would have suspected the rat of even tasting the stuff, much less having enough to get him drunk. There had to be an explanation for this.

"Are you kidding? Nooo. How could I get drunk off of a soda? It was really tasty. Like you; you're tasty; like cheeese-cake. Yeah, cheesecake." Now Haru was positive. There was no denying that the young rat was drunk, and getting drunker by the minute.

"Okay, where did you find this soda?" Haru figured he could at least find what he had gotten a hold of. Given that Shigure was currently walking down the steps, he might even get an answer out of the dog that likely owned the so-called 'soda.'

"It was in the kitchen, kinda in the back, in the top cabinet. You should try one. They're a lot like you; sweet and firey all at once, and absolutely delicious." This was followed by a hiccup that sounded suspiciously like a squeak.

"Did it happen to come in a purple can that's rather larger than a regular soda-can?" Shigure's voice drifted over to them, concern seeping through what he was trying to make sound calm and casual.

"Yup, that's it. Where did you get that stuff? Cuz I feel better than ever. I don't feel so trapped. I can tell now, it doesn't really matter what I say, cuz you guys already know." Yuki then looked right at Haru with eyes that couldn't have been anything but honest, even in their current state of intoxication. "And I know I can trust you, no matter what. Thanks for everything. I've wanted to say that, I just didn't know how. I know I can depend on you to be there for me and boost me up, even when I seem like I don't want it. That means the world to me."

Haru just stared at the man on his shoulder, not entirely sure what to say. The words he was hearing were enough to get his heart racing and nearly bring tears to the young ox's eyes. But could he really believe what he was hearing? It was pretty obvious that Yuki wasn't totally in control of himself. But then he was usually so quiet that no one knew _what_ went on in the rat's mind. Haru was pretty sure that he'd only heard one can opening, so Yuki shouldn't be completely beyond reason but still…

"Well, I think it's pretty clear what you got your un-witting hands on, and that I need to find a better hiding place for things like this. I think you should go up and take a nap. You might have a bit of a headache when you wake up, but I think you'll be grateful." For once, Shigure was not teasing or cracking jokes, and Haru was grateful. He didn't think he could deal with the writer's taste in humor at the moment. Yuki mumbled something about being tired anyway and stood up; and just as quickly sat back down.

"I think I'm starting to believe you. I guess I shouldn't have stood up so fast." Yuki looked dizzy and confused, so Haru decided to take pity on the poor rat. In one swift motion Haru managed to stand up with Yuki draped across his arms.

"W-WHA-?" The startled look on Yuki's face was completely comical, and Haru couldn't help but smile as he started towards the stairs.

"Don't worry. You just looked so dizzy that I decided to take you up to your room myself."

"Oh, Okay. I can definitely deal with that." This time it was Haru's turn to be completely startled; not only by the implications of that phrase, but by the flirtatious tone and the fact that Yuki just wrapped his arms around Haru's neck.

"Did I miss something?" Kyo's stunned tone didn't even have the hostility it usually dripped when refrencing Yuki. Instead, he had a look of pure shock and utter confusion. He just stood there off to the side of the stairs, blinking at the unexpected scene in front of him.

"Ah, well Yuki seems to have accidentally stumbled across the store of drinks I had gotten for my get-together tomorrow. Thankfully he only had one. Haru here was kind enough to make sure he got to bed so he could sleep it off." Shigure seemed appropriately embarrassed for leaving that out to be confused, so Haru just resumed his pace towards the stairs.

As the two of them reached the top of the stairs, Haru noticed Yuki outright cuddling him as he carried the handsome rat to his room. It felt so wonderful to have the one he had loved for years nestled warmly in his arms, holding tightly to him, even if it didn't last. Haru took a moment to remember which room was Yuki's, and headed there at a slow pace, trying not to jostle his passenger. Once there he nudged the door open with his foot and bent down to lay Yuki down on the waiting bed.

Before Haru had a chance to stand up properly, Yuki pulled him into the most searing and passionate kiss Haru had ever had the pleasure to experience. He had dreamed of just this scene so many times, and it only added to the magic of the kiss. Him carrying Yuki through the door like a man with his new bride, and laying the lithe form of his sweetheart down on soft sheets waiting just for them. Then those delicious lips, and that sweet silver tongue touching his own, it was nearly enough to drive him over the edge.

Nearly. Before things could get too heated, Haru suddenly broke the kiss, standing up properly. The confused and slightly hurt look on Yuki's face was testing the young ox's resolve, but he knew that they would both be grateful for this later.

"That was amazing Yuki, but you're drunk. I swore that I'd help you, and protect you. If I were to take advantage of you like this, I'd never forgive myself." Haru saw the understanding creep into Yuki's face, along with a sense of disappointment. "Look, I'll tell you what. You get some sleep, and we'll talk about this tomorrow. If you still want to when you're sober, I'll let you do whatever you like to me. Trust me, you'll thank me for this later." With that last statement, Haru gave Yuki a gentle kiss on the forehead, and gathered all his self-control so he could walk out the door.

"Thank you for everything." That whisper followed Haru out of the bedroom door, and he knew that he had done the right thing.

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Okay, another chapter at last! I made this one a little longer, cuz it just needed the time. Poor Yuki apparently has a lot more on his mind than he usually lets on. So now, how is our poor confused rat going to deal with his drunken realizations? all things to find out next time. ;P

As usual this is a boy/boy pairing, and I own nothing more than this particular turn of events. I don't even own one of Shigure's novels. (sadface)


	8. A new understanding

Yuki woke with a start, panting hard and with a slight headache. But the pain between his brows was not nearly enough to distract him from the images racing through his head. He was eternally grateful that he had not been made to share a room tonight, for the poor rat didn't know if he could have faced anyone in his current condition. He was covered in sweat, his mind was reeling, and he had a very pointed problem that bordered on the painful. There was no denying it anymore, not even to himself. Yuki Sohma, prince of their high-school and best martial-artist around, had an undeniable attraction that refused to remain just physical… for a man.

The young rat shook his head to try and clear it of the images of strong arms and sweaty bodies, but to no real avail. So instead he sat in the most _un-_comfortable position he could manage, and searched his mind for the most disgusting thing he could come up with. Hmm, Kyo with a girl? Good, but not quite enough. Umm… Shigure looking up porn? Not at all unexpected, and just got him thinking of what he might be watching. No help there. Ayame in a mini-skirt. That did it. Nothing would have kept him up through that thought.

With his body back under his own control, Yuki got up and looked around to judge the time. It was a little earlier than he usually had to get up, but not by much. Tohru should be up already, and Kyo would be up on the roof again, but everyone else would likely be asleep. With that in mind, Yuki decided that a shower was in order. He picked up a clean set of clothes, and headed out into the hall, picking his way quietly so as not to wake anyone up. He needed some quiet time to think without people trying to ask him what was going on. He appreciated the fact that they cared, and were concerned, but this was something he had to work out for himself. He couldn't let anyone else try to decide this sort of thing for him; it just didn't work that way. Though it seemed as though his body had made its decision already, his mind just had to catch up.

As Yuki let the water wash away the worry and tension he had built up in the short trip down the hall, he reflected on what had happened the night before. He hadn't really had that much to drink, though he should have recognized that there was something funny about that so-called 'soda.' The young rat spared a moment of irritation at himself, but looking back, it was probably all for the better. If he hadn't had the drink to loosen his tongue and relax his mind, he might not have even admitted to himself what he wanted. He remembered in vivid detail just how much he enjoyed just having Haru's arms around him, supporting him and holding him. Yuki sighed, finally admitting that he would much rather have those strong arms and firm, flat chest holding him than the softest and most lovely lady in all the world. He had never really been interested in any of the girls around him, so why should this be so much of a jump?

Now clean, dressed, and relaxed, Yuki wandered out of the small room, only to run head-long into the object of his newly admitted affections. With a distinct flush to his cheeks, Yuki looked right at Haru for the first time in days. Aside from the little trip down loopy lane, the young rat had firmly avoided looking Haru in the eye. Only now did he realize that it was because it would be far too easy for him to get lost in their silvered depths.

"Hey Yuki, how are you feeling?" Haru's words snapped Yuki out of his semi-trance and reminded him that he had a lot of explaining to do.

"O-oh, I'm fine, thank you. Look, I want to – apologize – for my behavior last night." Yuki said, blushing redder in embarrassment for the blunt show he had put on. "I'm afraid I said and did much more than I probably should have, particularly with others around…"

"Don't worry, I don't mind at all. I was more worried about you. You don't have a headache do you? Nauseous?" Haru's brows gathered together in concern and he frowned in a way that was rather endearing to the young rat.

"No, no, I am quite all right. I just- I was hoping I could talk to you, perhaps somewhere away from curious ears and obnoxious family?" Yuki hoped he didn't sound too pathetic, but he really needed to get this off his chest. He knew Haru wouldn't judge him, and would probably be all too excited to hear his little revelation. He just wasn't sure he wanted anyone else around when he finally admitted to actually wanting their act to become a reality.

"Sure, it's not like we have anything to do today. Why don't we take a walk somewhere? I'm sure we can talk in the woods without anyone bothering us." Haru just smiled, completely relaxed, and content, now that he knew that Yuki wasn't suffering for the minor mix-up the night before.

"That sounds perfect, I know just the place." Yuki was relieved that he hadn't been asked any questions. He would much rather talk about this when and where he chose. It was hard enough for him to allow his emotions to take over, but he thought Haru understood this. He seemed perfectly willing to take as much time as needed, and Yuki was eternally grateful.

Haru wrote a note to the rest of the house, telling them that he was taking Yuki in to town. No explanation, just that they were going; he'd let them come to their own conclusions. After all, they wouldn't think of much worse than what had actually been said last night. Yuki was always the 'proper' one…

The two of them walked out into the crisp morning air with an oddly comfortable silence falling between them. Yuki lead them down a path that he knew very well, but had only ever shared with one other person. Yes he was nervous, but at the same time, it just seemed like the right thing to do. So onward they went, until Yuki came up to his little garden patch, and sat down on the little bench that he had brought out here. Lately, he often wound up out here longer than it took to do what the garden needed, so he had put the bench here so he could sort out which vegetables had been ruined by insects or weather, and which were edible. Granted, there weren't many of the first, but it gave his hands something to do while his mind pondered his erratic life. For now though, it made a perfect place for the two of them to sit and talk.

Yuki motioned for Haru to sit down before he began, taking a deep, calming breath. Haru went ahead and sat down, a look of worry starting to cross his face. This was obviously something important to Yuki, so he'd do his best to understand, but he was worried that their little charade was putting too much pressure on the older boy. The rat already had so much to deal with that Haru was absolutely certain that he was going to be asked to stop the act.

"You know, you're only the second person I've ever brought here?" That one caught Haru completely off guard. Where was Yuki going with this? Haru just nodded, having figured that this was where Yuki spent a lot of his thinking time. It would make sense for him to not just show anyone.

"The other one is more like a sister, or even a mother to me. I think you can figure that one out." The small smile that crossed Yuki's face gave Haru a moment of hope that this might actually be something he wanted to hear.

"So, I guess you are wondering why I would bring you out here. I know I would be. Well, I've had a lot of things going through my mind lately, and you have been at the center of most of them." Yuki put up his hand to stall Haru's response. "Not in a bad way either. That's what's had me so confused actually. I've been thinking about our little – act – a lot lately, and the more I do, the less it feels like an act. What has been bothering me the most is the fact that that does not bother me at all. I- I think-" He took a shaky breath, "I think I might actually be gay."

That last was said in such quiet tones that Haru almost didn't hear it. The young rat's face was pointed down as if in shame, and his ears were bright red. For his part, Haru didn't know what to say. Yes, he had hoped that something like this might happen, but now that had, he could hardly believe what he was hearing. He knew that Yuki HATED feeling so different from the others at the school, and this would only make things worse. But then again, he'd been going along with it before, so it really wouldn't be too much of a change. For the moment though, it was clear that Yuki needed his support more than ever.

"I'll admit to liking this idea; but I want to know that you're absolutely sure about this. I don't want you doing something you're going to regret later. This is not something you chase blindly. I mean, you could be bi, like me. Or it could be just that I've been there for you, and not be attraction at all. I don't want to take advantage of you Yuki. In fact that's the LAST thing I would ever want to do." Haru said all this while putting one arm carefully over Yuki's shoulders in a gesture of support and caring. He didn't quite understand the flush that had come over Yuki's face in the midst of his words, but he had the feeling that all would be explained soon.

"Thank you Haru, but like I said, I have been doing a LOT of thinking lately. Most of it was inspecting myself and my responses to those around me. Every time one of the girls at school would ask me out, I would turn them down for obvious reasons, but there was also a sense of relief every time I did, as though I was escaping a trap of some kind. None of them have ever appealed to me. As for your argument about attraction…" The young rat's face turned about thirty shades of red in that one moment before he continued; "I would not be so quick to say that it was not there."

Haru looked at the young rat, now about the shade of a ripe tomato, and headed in the direction of a pickled beet. What was he supposed to say to that? Yuki very rarely let anyone see what was going on in his mind or hear, and such an out-pouring of emotion was almost overwhelming. Finally, the young ox decided on putting a light, chaste kiss on the top of Yuki's head.

"Yuki, you know I've always loved you, and I am completely thrilled that you think of me in the same light. I really don't know what to say, except that I don't want you to rush into anything. I'll be here as long as you need—" Haru suddenly found himself cut off by surprisingly fierce and hungry lips seeking his own. So caught off-guard by the bold move, the younger boy could do nothing but return that kiss with equal fervor, having longed for this day for years.

That precious moment passed all too soon for either of them, only ending when they were both suffering the effects of having closed off their airways. Haru could only sit and smile; cherishing the memory, and savoring the taste of Yuki on his lips. For his part, Yuki looked as though he had just run at full speed for a full mile: his whole face was flushed, and he was practically panting for air.  
>"I-I'm sorry for interrupting you, but I needed you to know just how much I meant what I said. I've waited long enough, and denied myself something that was standing right in front of my face. I allowed my fear to rule me. All I've ever wanted was to be normal; to be able to talk freely with people and let my heart rule like the people at school do. But with you I can talk, and my heart is telling me that this is a good thing. So I think I want to make this official. Hatsaharu Sohma, will you go out with me?"<p>

Whatever Haru had been expecting, it wasn't that. He was so caught off-guard that at first, all he could do was stare at the man looking pleadingly at him. It wasn't until that face started to fall, looking hurt and confused, that the young ox was able to break his trance and pull Yuki into a tight hug, then backing up so that he could look at the young man that had just made his biggest dream come true.

"Absolutely. I wouldn't dream of saying no to you, not if this is something you really want. I've been hoping you would say that for years. " Haru smiled at Yuki, letting all his joy and love transform his face until he practically glowed.

That look of pure joy was enough to give Yuki the courage to do what he'd only managed while drunk so far. Yuki kissed the young ox, letting all of his pent-up emotions go in one torrential storm. The force of this kiss was enough to knock Haru off balance and off of the bench, taking Yuki with him. They were now covered in dirt and dust, but neither seemed to care; the raw emotions carrying them to a tight embrace that, even with their clothing fully in place, left no doubt as to what they would both rather be doing. Haru even dared enough to slide his hand under Yuki's shirt, letting the silky skin slide beneath his fingertips. This alone was enough to cause the rat to gasp and shudder with pleasure. Never had he felt anything quite so exquisite, and he didn't want it to stop.

"Oh!"

That one syllable was enough to snap the two young men out of their explorations to turn towards the intruder. There stood a frozen Tohru with basket in hand, looking thoroughly embarrassed and surprised. Yuki, for his part, was even redder in the face than she was, while Haru would do no more than look far too content. After a few moments, Yuki decided that it was up to him to break this awkward silence.

"Um, Miss Honda. I am, uh, very sorry you had to see that little… um, display." With each pause, his face grew redder and redder, until Haru was seriously afraid that the poor rat would pass out.

"Oh, no, don't be! I guess I wasn't thinking! I mean I know you come out here to be alone, so bringing you a lunch wasn't that smart anyway, and you've got your vegetables so that isn't really a problem, but it's my fault that I came out here. It's your secret base, not mine, so I really shouldn't have been here without asking you first, and I know you've had a lot to think about, so I shouldn't have tried to—"

"It's all right Tohru, this was a little unexpected for us as well" Haru said, cutting of the lightning-fast flood of words. As he spoke, he began disentangling himself from his new boyfriend. "I too apologize for any discomfort, we had simply fallen that way and, well, you saw the result of that. I would ask that you not say anything until Yuki here is ready to say it himself."

Tohru for her part blinked for a moment before beginning on another torrent of words and assurances that she could be counted upon. Haru really didn't care much past the fact that she wasn't going to out-right tell anyone that it wasn't a ruse anymore. Goodness knows that cat was likely to spit a hairball, but the only one he was really worried about was Yuki. The young rat was currently looking at him with a look of mixed gratitude and embarrassment that was extremely endearing. The next words that came out of Yuki's mouth were what stunned Haru the most though.

"Breathe Miss Honda. There is no need for so much assurance. As it stands, I have finally decided to be honest with myself, and I think it will not be too long before I decide to be honest with the rest of the household. I simply ask that you hold off until I have gathered my courage again. I am sure you understand if this is difficult for me to say to the others, even if I have been deceiving the school until this point with just this scenario. It is different when it is truly how you feel."

Tohru's reply was simple enough to surprise the young couple into complete stunned silence once again. All she said before turning to go back to the house was "Even if you don't want to tell anyone, just promise not to hurt each other, ok?"

As Tohru left the little garden, the two boys just stared at her retreating back, unsure what to say next. As the silence stretched, Yuki finally heaved a sigh, deliberately releasing all the tension he had been building since Tohru walked up on them.

"Well, I suppose it had to come out sooner or later." The young rat's simple statement didn't come with the resignation that Haru had expected, but rather a peace, and a relief that it was somewhat out of his hands.

"You know, she is able to keep a secret, obviously. You could probably hold off for a while." Haru didn't want to push his new boyfriend into anything he wasn't ready to do, so he offered this out, but it was fairly obvious that he would be perfectly happy to spread the word that it was official to the rest of the world if he could.

"No," Yuki responded. "This is something I need to do. If I cannot be honest with the ones that rescued me from the main house, then why am I even here? There is more than enough secrecy in my life. I refuse to force you to hide behind my lies too."

And there really wasn't anything that could be said to that.


End file.
